A Red and Black Christmas
by StangeInterests32
Summary: Carlos de Vil is not in the Christmas spirit. In fact, he'd be perfectly happy letting everyone else celebrate Christmas while he just let's it pass him by. But one concerned AK just refuses to let that happen. Can she help Carlos get over his holiday blues, or will Carlos continue to see Christmas and the entire season as just another day?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Okay, so if you've read my profile, I said I was taking a small break until after New Year's to recharge my batteries and then continue all my current stories. But something I saw on Christmas really got to me, and I just had to make a story from the inspiration. And yes, I know Christmas is over, but this story takes place during it, so I hope you won't hold it against me too much for being late. This is chapter one (obviously), but I'll have chapter two up within the next day or two.

Thanks. Hope you like it, and I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and has a great New Year.

* * *

Carlos de Vil was not a fan of Christmas. He could thank his mother for that. Even though the meaning of it was twisted to match the doom and gloom that was the Isle of the Lost, they still had Christmas, albeit just a touch more…evil.

Peace on Earth? Goodwill toward men?

Try: War on Auradon and hostility toward all.

And 'tis better to give than to receive?

Well, in the words of a very famous captain: "Take all you can…give nothing back."

So Christmas on the Isle entailed finding what you want, and making sure you got before anyone else got to it first. And be prepared to fend someone off to keep it. There were exceptions, though. For the really little kids on the Isle, those too small to lie, cheat, and steal well enough on their own, their parents did it for them. Like many parents on Auradon, they kept the holiday alive for their children until they were old enough to keep Christmas in their own way…usually some kind of gang activity. So it wasn't unusual for an Isle kid to have at least one favorite toy that their parents gave them.

Unless that parent was was Cruella de Vil. Then, there was no favorite toy. There wasn't even the idea of giving something to a small, skittish little boy just looking for the tiniest modicums of protection and comfort from his mother. Cruella was not the protective type, and no one would ever describe her as comforting.

So, as he watched the way Christmas was celebrated in Auradon, the emotion and meanings behind it felt even more alien to him than those of an Isle Christmas. His isolation was made even more pronounced as he watched his friends become so involved with it.

Evie was practically giddy at the thought of an Auradon Christmas after having to spend so many Christmas's with just her mother due to Maleficent's banishment. Just the idea of getting to spend the holidays with other people was reason enough for her to celebrate. But Evie wanted to do the season right, so that meant giving presents.

Unfortunately, the Isle's reigning princess didn't have any money. But – as he, Mal, and Jay – reminded her, she did have her sewing skills. She'd practically exhausted herself making dresses, and suits, and anything else that the students of Auradon Prep had paid her for. To everyone's surprise, even Ben's mother asked her for a gown for the palace's annual Christmas ball.

By the time she was done filling orders, she had enough money to buy presents for Mal, Carlos, and Jay, as well as for Doug, Jane, Lonnie, Ben, Audrey and, much to everyone's shock, even Chad.

Jay wasn't as excited as everyone else since being from Agrabah, his father didn't actually celebrate Christmas, but he got into the holiday due to "giving" himself presents every year. Now, he at least took part in the tourney team's Secret Santa tradition, though he did have to borrow a little money from Evie to get it.

Even Mal had gotten into the spirit of the things. Ben had been able to talk her into helping his mother decorate the palace one weekend. No one was really sure what transpired, but first thing she did when she got back was to insist on decorating her and Evie's room as well as the boys' room.

Carlos remembered how he found himself just trying to stay out of her way as she stood on his bed, hanging a string of lights on the wall above it.

"Mal, could you try and not get dirt on my pillow," he said as he watched her try and reach the wall hook to secure the lights.

"I am trying, but this would be easier if someone _taller than me_ was helping," she said over her shoulder at him.

"And I'm sure Jay would if he was," he said under his breath.

"What?" she asked, straining to reach the hook once me. In a feat of pure willpower, she somehow forced her arm to reach, and raised her hands in victory as the string of lights was now secure. "Got it," she rejoiced, losing her balance and falling backwards onto Carlos's bed.

"You alright, Mal?" he asked as he got up and moved to see if she was okay.

"Yeah, luckily your mattress isn't that bouncy, otherwise I'd have probably hit the floor," she said. "Where's my hat?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair and noticing that she could. Carlos looked around and saw the hat she was referencing, a Santa hat done in green felt instead of the usual red. He picked it up and handed it over to her. "Like it?" she asked, indicating the lights that hung from once bedpost to the other, meeting on the hook so they arched instead of just hung like a depressing forced smile, and then wrapping around each bedpost until it reached the base. She'd done the same to Jay's bed. She'd also hung some tinsel around the window frames, put a small tree on their desk and stockings on their door.

"It's nice," he said flatly.

Mal jumped and let herself fall into a sitting position on his bed, putting her hat back on after landing. "Just nice?"

"Well…,"

"Yeah, I know," she said standing up. "I just figured that since we were off the Isle now, maybe you'd get into the whole Christmas spirit."

"Like Evie? Like Jay? Like you?"

Mal just smiled at him. It was a gentle smile, the kind you give when someone is choosing to let their scars shine through instead of trying to heal.

"We worry about you right now since you've actually looked sadder than any of us remember seeing you," she told him.

"I'm okay," he said moving to take a seat at his desk. "Once the whole Christmas thing passes, I'll be fine," he told her. Mal felt herself become sad at that thought.

Before he could remember the rest of what happened, the sound of a laughing snapped him out of his reverie. He looked up from his lunch inside the cafeteria and saw the cheerleaders walking through the room toward the buffet tables. He looked them over, and like any teenage boy at Auradon Prep would do, smiled at the pretty sight of all of them, dressed in their uniforms, no doubt coming from gym after the pep rally that was used to celebrate the winter break coming up.

They have a pep rally for everything at this school, he thought.

He managed to get back from the rally before anyone else, mostly because he hung out near the back, close to the door. He might have skipped it all together, but a crush on the squad's newest member had compelled him to show up. Despite knowing that he could go over and talk to them since Mal and Evie were also on the squad, he decided to just head back to his room and pack up since he and the other VKs, well…except for Evie, would be going to stay at the palace during the break and he didn't want to be panicking at the last minute to get everything he needed…like Jay undoubtedly would.

As he got up and went to put away his tray, he didn't notice a certain new cheerleader staring at him. She watched him make his way out of the cafeteria, his backpack hanging off his shoulders, his head lazily hanging down.

I wonder what's bothering him, Jane thought as her eyes followed him out.

* * *

Mal and Evie were in their dorm room finishing up getting ready for bed. It had been a long day of finals, plus the prep rally, and getting packed for the break and the two of them were more worn out than they realized.

"So how big is the tree at the palace, again?" Evie asked as she finished brushing her hair before tying it back into a ponytail and laying on her bed.

"Which one?" Mal asked dryly.

"How many are there?"

"There's the one in the foyer when you enter the castle – which is like twenty feet. There's one in the main banquet hall, the family dining room, all three reception rooms, the family room…"

"Forget I asked," Evie said, becoming even more exhausted just listening to her friend.

"Belle said the one in the family room is the main one though…at least to her. And that one's like twelve feet. I had to stand on this huge ladder just to reach the top to put the star on it like Belle asked me to after we decorated it," she said.

"You what?" Evie asked in total surprise.

"I got on a huge ladder. It was so big Adam had to be the one hold it steady."

"Not that," Evie said moving to sit on Mal's bed. "The part about the star. _You_ put it on the top? Because _Belle_ asked you?"

Mal nodded. Evie almost squealed.

"What's the big deal?"

"She's starting to treat you like family, M," Evie said, her eyes shining.

"You think…?"

Before Evie could answer there was a knock on the door. Evie got up and saw Jane standing before her, her own cheerleading outfit replaced with a pair of light blue pajamas pants and a matching tank top.

"Jane," Evie said in shock. "What are _you_ doing out past curfew?" The blue-haired princess asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

"I need to ask you and Mal a question," she responded.

Evite leaned out of the door frame and looked around the hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, she waved Jane in.

"Hey, Mal," Jane greeted as she entered. Mal waved.

"So, what can we do for you?" Evie asked.

"Why is Carlos so sad right now?"

Both Mal and Evie looked at each other, their faces growing pensive. They both knew, but neither wanted to say anything.

"Please, I hate seeing him so sad."

Once again, they looked at each other. They then looked at Jane. They both noticed that she had this look of resolve on her face. She wouldn't be taking "I don't know" for an answer. So, with a bit of reluctance, they told her about Carlos' Christmas experiences on the Isle. By the time they were done, Jane was crying rivers.

"That's horrible," she sobbed as she tried to dab away her tears with tissue. "How could any mother do that?"

"Easy," Mal began, "Cruella isn't a mother."

"She didn't realize it, but she basically killed Christmas for him," Evie added.

"But he's away from her, he should be giving it a chance," Jane said, her crying under control.

"We've tried to get him into the spirit of things, but…," Mal said.

"His mother's influence is still there, even if he won't admit it. Personally, I think it would take the complete opposite of Cruella de Vil to undo that," Evie finished.

* * *

Jane was sitting on her bed, her mind still on what Mal and Evie had told her. Every few minutes she teared up when she thought about what they told her Cruella did to Carlos. She wanted to do something, but she didn't know what. She'd never had a mother like that. Her own was loving, and kind, and nurturing

He should've had a mother like that, she thought.

Then, she had an idea, her eyes widening at the thought.

A few minutes later she was on her tablet, waiting for her mother to answer her.

"Yes, Janey," Fairy Godmother said happily as she began the video chat with her daughter.

"Mom, I need to ask you for a favor."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Okay, so it took me a little longer than a day or two to get this chapter out. I got a little sick and that slowed me down. But, I'm all better now, and here it is. Also, I'd like to mention that the car mentioned in this chapter is a real car, though it was only made for like three years. I always figured the character mentioned to own it would have a classic car rather than a modern one. If anyone wants to see what the car actually looks like, just do a Google image search for "1957 Dual Ghia".

Please enjoy…

* * *

Three of the four VKs were standing in the dorm hall's foyer, waiting for the cars to arrive.

"I still wish you were coming to the palace with us," Mal said to Evie a little sadly.

"I know, but…I, uh…"

"I know, I know," Mal relented as she watched Evie become uncomfortable. "You want to spend time with your sister…your _actual_ sister."

"Aww, M," Evie said sympathetically. She walked over and wrapped Mal in a big, warm hug. "You know you're my sister, too," she told Mal without letting go. "But how often am I going to get the chance to try and smooth over the things my mother did with the person she did them to?"

Mal and Evie separated and Mal looked at her best friend turned sibling. "I get it, I really do," Mal said sadly, "but it doesn't mean I have to like it."

Evie laughed and hugged Mal one more time.

"Oh, enough with the hugging," Carlos complained from the base of the stairs where he'd taken up position while they waited, Dude lying next to him. His backpack was sitting between his feet while he played a game on his handheld. "It's making me want to hurl," he added.

"Stop being such a Grinch," Evie scolded him.

"Yeah," Mal agreed with an exaggerated nod. "And where's Jay?" she asked him, becoming worried that the fourth member of their quartet still wasn't down yet.

"He woke up late, and had to start packing," Carlos answered, letting his voice trail off as he delivered the news.

"Woke up late?" Evie asked.

" _Start_ packing?" Mal almost shouted at the same time. "I told him to pack last night."

"You know he'd never do that," Carlos laughed, smiling for the first time in a few days.

"Evie, can you –"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the three teenagers heard from upstairs. They looked up and saw Jay rushing down the second-floor hallway and then down the stairs, his suitcase in one hand, his backpack being held over one shoulder in the other hand. "Car here yet?" he asked when he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Mal and Evie rolled their eyes at him. Carlos just let out a small chuckle.

A few minutes later, the two cars finally did arrive. One held Ben, Belle, and Beast, and the other Snow White, Florian, and their son, Raymond. The adults began saying their hellos, Belle gushing over how much Raymond had grown since the last time she saw him. Eventually, the impromptu reunion ended and the cars started getting loaded with the kids' bags. All except for Carlos' luggage.

"Carlos, sweetie," Belle told him, putting a gentle hand on his face. "Before we go, you should know, someone has stepped forward and volunteered to let you stay with them for the Christmas break. Now, we don't want to force you, so we thought we'd let you decide once they get here," she explained.

"Which is surprising that she's not here yet," Beast said as he stood next to his limo.

Great, he thought, somewhere else I can feel out of place.

"Actually, I think I see her pulling up now," Snow White interjected.

Everyone turned to look in the direction that Snow was and saw a classic looking car pulling up the driveway and coming to a stop behind Snow White's limo. "Now that's a car," Raymond exclaimed, seemingly in awe of the vintage vehicle. The car was a two door Dual-Ghia. It was a sporty looking little car with an ice blue exterior and what looked to be a baby blue and white interior. While the overall feel of the car was classy and sophisticated, it gave off enough of a vibe that said it could easily show off some serious horsepower if called upon to do so.

What was even more surprising for the four assembled VKs was owner. Their eyes widened and, in the case of a certain reformed pickpocket, there was a slight open mouthed expression as the driver side door opened and out came the Fairy Godmother, followed shortly by Jane from the passenger side.

"That's _your_ car?" Mal asked in disbelief as she ran her eyes over the vehicle. She'd never pictured the Fairy Godmother as a driver, and she certainly never pictured her driving something like this. But as she saw her standing next to it, she couldn't help but think that it suited her – classy, bright without being gaudy, and strong without overstating its power.

"It's so cute," Evie gushed.

"Isn't it?" she smiled.

"What's going on here?" Carlos asked impatiently.

Mal and Evie rolled their eyes while Jay just shook his head. Belle and Beast just looked at each other, their expressions somewhere between shock and worry. Snow just looked sympathetic. Despite not being around as often due to the distance of her own kingdom, Evie had slowly been filling her in on her friends, so she knew about Carlos' issues with Christmas.

"Carlos…um…," Fairy Godmother began as she walked toward the white-haired fourteen-year-old. She felt strangely awkward at the moment, mostly because she had no clue how this situation was going to turn out, and didn't want to have to see her daughter's heartbroken face if this whole plan went south before it had a chance to take off. "I know this is last minute, but I was wondering if you would like to spend Christmas with me and Jane?" she smiled.

Carlos looked at her slightly confused. He turned toward the car and saw Jane standing next to it, her hands resting on the roof. She smiled at him and waved, a small, hopeful smile curling her lips. Evie and Mal couldn't hold back their "aww" as they watched the way Jane also appeared to get a little dreamy eyed. Belle, Snow, and Fairy Godmother just looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

"Did you guys know about this?" Carlos asked his friends.

All three of them shook their heads in the negative.

"Actually, it was mine," Fairy Godmother answered. "Please don't get angry, but I heard how down you've been this season, figured, well, maybe you'd like to spend Christmas some place a little more…cozier than the palace."

"Like we said though, sweetie, it's totally up to you," Belle told him gently.

Carlos didn't know what to do. On the one hand, he wanted to stay with his friends, even if they were going to be all Christmas cheer and glad tidings. But at least he wouldn't be alone, and that was what he hated more than the idea of happy holidays. Then again, he'd been looking for a reason to try and talk to Jane more often, and spending Christmas with her definitely gave him his reason.

"What do you guys think?" he asked Mal, Jay, and Evie.

Jay just shrugged his shoulders. If Carlos did stay with Fairy Godmother, he figured he'd still be close enough to hang out with if things at the palace got too refined for him. And personally, he figured a change of scenery might do the boy some good. Mal and Evie we're torn for their own reasons. After their conversation last night, Evie knew that this was all Jane's idea. The timing was too perfect. She also thought that those two were too perfect for each other. She hated the idea of Carlos not being at least with Mal and Jay, but she was thrilled at that the thought of him finally getting to be around his crush.

Mal was slightly upset because it meant that another one of her friends wouldn't be with her for Christmas. It was their first Christmas together of the Isle and she wanted them to be together. That way they could face anything that happened _together._ Then again, maybe I'm just afraid of what'll happen, she thought. For better or for worse, she felt safer with her friends around, like nothing bad could happen, or if it did, they could take it on as one. Ben said her friends were like a security blanket, and as she thought about it, it sounded right.

Maybe that's why I don't want them to leave, she mused to herself as she looked at Carlos and then at Evie. But, she wagered, at some point, security blankets had to be put aside every now and then.

And this was one of those times. Not because she didn't care, but because Mal realized that this was about Carlos, not her.

"I want you to stay," Mal told him. She saw Jane begin to look like a wounded puppy after she said it. "But…this might not be a _totally_ bad idea," she continued, bring a look of shock from Carlos, and Evie and Jay as well.

Carlos looked to Jay and Evie, waiting to see if they'd say anything. Once again, Jay shrugged. Carlos knew if he had any reason to believe this was a bad idea, he'd say _something._

"I'm trying out different. Might not hurt you to give something different a chance too," Evie told him.

Carlos looked back toward Fairy Godmother. Then Jane. "I guess I'll go with you," he answered tentatively.

* * *

Fairy Godmother's house was not what Carlos was expecting. He didn't know exactly what he was expecting, but he always figured she lived in some huge, practically regal looking home. Maybe even some kind of smaller sized castle since she was the most powerful fairy in the world. He figured her title and her level of power had to mean something after all.

So as they pulled up to the quaint, average looking yellow and white bungalow, he almost thought they had pulled up to the wrong house. "We're here," he heard Fairy Godmother say cheerfully as the car came to a stop.

Jane moved to let Carlos out of the backseat. Like back at Auradon Prep, there was snow on the ground, but it had also been groomed so as to keep the walkway and sidewalks clear. He helped pull his bags out of the trunk and made his way up the path, surprise kicking in. "How are their flowers growing?"

"Magic," Jane answered.

"Jane," Fairy Godmother said in an admonishing tone.

"Aww, I can't have any fun," she pouted.

"The flowers are Camellias and Christmas Roses, Carlos. They're perfectly at home growing in snow," Fairy Godmother informed him.

"That makes more sense," he said looking at Jane. She just smiled at him and then playfully stuck her tongue at him before going into the house. Carlos lagged behind for a second, looking at the house's exterior. There were poinsettias planted inside of box planters on the porch rail, and individual pots of them on the end of each step coming down to the walkway. On each pillar was a string of garland wrapped around it and what looked like lights wrapped with them. He noticed that lights also bordered the porch and the front door, which itself had a large wreath made of declaratively arranged branches, flowers, and red ribbons rather than whatever plant was normally used.

"Home, sweet, home," Jane said once she was inside.

Once Carlos was inside he set his bag down and wandered into the living room. The room itself wasn't overly large, but it felt homey all the same. The furniture was modern, but the rugs they sat on were definitely antiques. The room wasn't overly decorated except for the fireplace and the eight foot Christmas tree in the corner.

As he looked closer he noticed that that fireplace had stockings hung on it – three in all. "Who's the third stocking belong to?" he asked unsure.

"It's yours, honey," Fairy Godmother told him. "If you're going to stay here, you get one just like we do."

Carlos didn't know how to feel about that statement. Sure he had gotten one from Mal back at school, but he figured she was obligated to get him one, in her mind at least. But he wasn't expecting this.

He thought…he didn't know what to think.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite his crush on Jane and all the time they'd hung out as well as the lessons he got at school from her mother, Carlos was not as well versed in how fairies acted as one might think. The extent of his knowledge was based more on what he learned back on the Isle, which was that fairies were childish, meddlesome, overreaching do-gooders who over inflated the level of power they had. At least that's the way Lady Tremaine, and Captain Hook always put it.

So he didn't know if Christmas was something they celebrated normally, or if this was just Jane and Fairy Godmother fitting in. Whatever the case was, it seemed like they were diving in full steam ahead. The first night he was there was relatively normal, just the three of them getting settled in along with Fairy Godmother letting him know a few house rules. Then there was dinner, where Carlos felt like he was being pumped for information. When he video chatted with Mal, Jay, and Evie about it, Jay had a field day with that tidbit of information, teasing him about how he was actually being interrogated as if he was Jane's boyfriend. Mal and Evie kept Jay somewhat under control, though Evie did try and get Carlos to admit to having a crush on the headmistress's daughter. She almost broke him down and got him to say yes, but he was saved at the last minute by a knock on the door of the room he was staying in.

"Gotta go," he said, logging out of the chat. He knew he didn't _have_ to log out, and his friends let him know as much as they complained about his abruptly leaving their conversation, but he didn't know if he could stand up to Evie's prodding much longer without giving up something. "Come in," he said, closing his laptop and laying it next to him on the bed.

When the door opened he became nervous when he saw Fairy Godmother peek her head in. "Hi," she said cheerily.

"Hey," Carlos greeted back, suddenly feeling very awkward.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Fairy Godmother entered and took a seat near the foot of the bed. "How are you doing?"

"Good," he answered flatly.

"Just good?"

Carlos shrugged. Fairy Godmother felt herself become worried. What did that woman do this boy, she thought.

"I…," Carlos began, then trailing off as he thought it better to not say anything.

"What is it, sweetie?"

Carlos swallowed hard, wondering if he should open his mouth. He looked off to his right, out the window at the clear cold night.

"Carlos," Fairy Godmother said gently, trying to get his attention back on her. "I can't help if you don't talk to me. So please, tell me, good or bad, whatever it is."

Carlos turned back toward her. He was still torn as to whether he should say what was on his mind. But unlike his mother, Fairy Godmother wasn't known for her anger. And he was petty sure she didn't have any spare bear traps laying around.

"I can't help but feel like my being here is everyone acting like I'm some charity case because I don't feel like they say I should right now."

Fairy Godmother felt an immediate rush of sympathy for the young boy in front of her. He is far too young to be carrying this kind of emotional weight, she thought. "You are not a charity case," she told him with as much certainty as she could implore upon him. Your friends are just worried about you because well, you're not yourself right now. Not that there's anything wrong with not liking the holidays…lots of people don't. But you're usually pretty happy and laid back. Right now…"

"Evie calls me a Grinch."

"That may be a bit harsh, but you are a little moodier than I've ever seen you" Fairy Godmother giggled. Then she took a breath and looked him in the eye. "And I feel you deserve to hear the truth about this. I was asked if I could take you in for the Christmas break." She saw him blink dejectedly. "Not because of your current…outlook, but because it was thought that maybe being around a different family style than you're used to might do you some good to at least cheer you up."

"Well no one could be worse than my mother," he said dejectedly.

"Well I don't have a comment on that, but I can promise you that whatever you went through there, you don't have to worry about that here," she smiled. "But all I ask is that you give this a chance, if not for yourself, for Jane." Carlos looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "All this was her idea, sweetie. She prefers you happy."

Carlos smiled quickly. He knew Mal, Evie, and Jay could tell he wasn't his normal self. As close as they were, it would worry him if they didn't notice. But he never figured that his other friends could tell since he didn't think they'd known him long enough. Then again, when I'm not with Mal, Evie, and Jay, I'm usually hanging out with Jane, he thought.

Fairy Godmother got up and began making her way out of the room. "I really hope staying here helps you feel better," she said gently. "Let me know if you need anything, okay."

Carlos nodded and watched her leave.

The next few days were filled with things that Carlos knew his mother would never go near: making Christmas cards, since Fairy Godmother didn't believe in buying them, and finishing up decorating the tree. He had assumed that it was done, but apparently Fairy Godmother had only gotten the lights and tinsel on it.

"Mom likes for us to do it together," Jane told him as she and him placed ornaments on it. She and Carlos were standing next to each and Fairy Godmother couldn't help but smile at the how cute the two of them looked together.

She knew Jane had a crush on the school's youngest Villain Kid, and while most parents probably would've had some reservations over their daughters doing so, she realized that Carlos was mostly harmless. Not that any of the villain children were truly bad, but she'd looked into Carlos' past and was surprised to see that he was prone to more mischief than actual bad behavior compared to his friends back when they were all living on the Isle.

He also seemed to be taking to living in Auradon much more easily than the others, with the exception of maybe Evie, she realized.

"Carlos, could you put a few ornaments a little higher, please?" Fairy Godmother asked him after a few minutes of watching the two kids talk and unintentionally flirt with each other. "It's so nice to have someone on hand that's a little taller than us for once isn't, Janey?" she asked her daughter. Jane nodded while hip bumping Carlos and he felt himself blush a little bit.

The best part, at least in Carlos' mind was when the baking started. It was no secret that Carlos had a massive sweet tooth; he was practically famous for it. So when the house stated to smell like chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies and peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies, he thought that must be what heaven smells like. But when she started with the brownies, walnut and fudge, he felt like he'd died and gone there.

"Slow down," Jane implored him as she watched him take down his fifth fudge brownie as they sat at the table as Fairy Godmother made a few more batches to give away to friends. "You're gonna make yourself sick."

"Sorry, but they're really good," he said after swallowing the bite he'd taken.

"Thank you, sweetie," Fairy Godmother said at the sound of the compliment. "But Jane's right, slow down with them. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing."

"Let's hope not," he said as he looked across at Jane and smiled. Fairy Godmother had her back to the two teenagers and didn't see how Jane was blushing profusely at the double meaning of Carlos' words.

* * *

Eventually as the Christmas break moved on, Christmas closed in. As a treat, Queen Belle and King Beast, Snow White, and Fairy Godmother decided that the four villain children need to spend some time together. A few days before Christmas Eve they all gathered at the palace, the four of them becoming excited to see each other. The first thing they all seemed to do was catch up since Evie had been in Snow White's kingdom and Carlos with Fairy Godmother.

There was a lot of talking over each other, but what wasn't being talked about was the definite change in Carlos. He was in a far better place than he was the day they left school. He was smiling, laughing, joining in once again with his friends. It was like the old Carlos had been the one to show up to this impromptu reunion.

"What did you do?" Belle asked as she watched Carlos act like the boy she knew everyone was wanting back versus the the version that was practically growling through the holidays until they were over.

"Nothing really," responded Fairy Godmother.

"Don't give me that," Snow White smiled as she watched as the four villain kids, Ben, Jane, and her son started making their way outside to play in the snow since the VKs had never really seen it before and there wasn't really time to enjoy it when school was in session. But now, there was nothing stopping then from letting loose with the stuff. "You had to have done _something_."

"I agree," King Beast said as he watched the group start to frolic. "It's almost like it's a different boy than the one you picked up."

"No, it's the old Carlos," Belle smiled as she watched him play in the snow. "So," she asked Fairy Godmother, "what did you do?"

"I just included him in the things Jane and I do every year; decorating the tree, baking Christmas cookies, things like that."

"So you made him part of the family," Belle said.

Fairy Godmother looked out the window at the group, and watched as they started separating off into groups; Evie, Jay, and Raymond, Ben and Mal, and finally Carlos and Jane and started a snowball fight. She smiled as she watched Carlos and her daughter cover themselves from being hit, then try and return fire. Mostly she watched Carlos and felt a swell of happiness at the sight of him smiling and laughing, acting like a boy his age should be during Christmas with his friends.

"I suppose I did," she decided.

* * *

"Don't tell me you're up trying to see Santa?" Carlos asked as he caught Jane sitting in the bay window in the living room in the middle of the night.

Jane turned to look at him, almost jumping at the sound of his voice. "Um…no," she stammered as she rearranged herself to get comfortable again after her shock. "Not since I was like nine or ten," she added.

"Did I scare you?" Carlos asked as he moved toward the window, glass of milk in hand.

"No, just startled me. I didn't think anyone else was awake," she answered as she pulled her knees up to her, making room for Carlos to sit. He accepted the unasked invitation and sat opposite of her. Once he was seated, they both stretched their legs out next to the other's. "What about you? Leaving milk out for him?" she inquired when she noticed the milk in his hand.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I was having trouble falling asleep, milk helps make me drowsy at night."

Jane nodded her head.

"So why are you awake?" he asked.

"I'm usually wake Christmas Eve for a few hours. It's from when I was little and I used to _actually_ try and see Santa," she giggled. Carlos smiled at that revelation. He could picture Jane, a lot smaller than she already was, sitting at this window in her little pajamas, clutching the stuffed Jiminy Cricket doll he'd seen in her room a few days ago, looking up at the sky for a magic sleigh and the reindeer pulling it. "Now, I just look at the sky, seeing how pretty it is before going to bed."

Carlos took a sip of his milk and was about to ask her when she went from believing in Santa to just watching stars when she beat him to the punch.

"So do you feel any different about Christmas since coming here?"

"Well…I definitely understand better why people like it so much. The whole being with friends and family thing wasn't exactly instilled in me thanks to my mother," he answered, his voice going a little sad at the end. "But being here, well, it helped with the whole 'it can be fun' mentality."

Jane smiled at that answer. Christmas was fun, and she was glad that Carlos was opening up to that thought. Truth be told, this was, in her opinion, the best Christmas she'd ever had since she was able to help someone see what the holiday was all about. She was about to say how happy she was for him when she broke out laughing at the sensation of him tickling her foot. "Stop," she laughed, playfully kicking at him. "You're gonna wake Mom. You know how she feels about people being up too late."

"Alright fine," he said yawning, the milk already taking effect.

"It hits you that fast?"

He nodded. "I'm gonna head up. Night Fairy Goddaughter," he grinned as he got up and began making his way toward the stairs.

"Wait," he heard from behind him.

He stopped and turned around. Jane was making her way over to him. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the archway separating the living room from the small foyer. She stood in front of him, smiling mischievously. "What?" he asked slowly.

"Look up."

Carlos tilted his head and gulped loudly when he saw what Jane was referring to. Above their heads, nailed to the top of the archway was a small piece of mistletoe.

"Um…uh…," he stuttered, slightly caught off guard as he looked back at a smiling Jane.

Before his brain could form a coherent sentence however, Jane stood up on her toes and gave Carlos a kiss, stunning him even more. She went back down on her feet and felt her cheeks become hot from the blood rushing into them. Even through the low light of the room she could see Carlos blushing as well. She almost started laughing at the confused, yet adorably goofy, smile on his face.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered and then ran upstairs as quietly as she could, leaving a stunned VK standing frozen in place.

* * *

"Carlos! Carlos, wake up!" he heard someone shouting.

He groaned, clutching his blanket tighter around himself. He next felt someone shaking him.

"Wake up!"

"Go away, too early," he groaned again, this time turning way from whomever was talking.

Jane gave a loud "hmph" as she put her hands on her hips and thought about what to do. Suddenly, a fun idea popped into her head and she smiled wickedly. She kicked off slippers and started to climb on the bed near the foot of it, where she hopefully wouldn't do too much damage. Once she had her balance, she began to jump on the bed, making it shake wildly.

"Carlos, wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" she started shouting over and over until she finally saw him moving.

"Whoa! What the…Jane?" Carlos said in shock, crawling toward the headboard to get away from the from the earthquake on his bed.

Upon seeing that he was awake, Jane let herself fall into a sitting position on his bed, a playful smile on her face. Carlos looked at her, sitting on his bed, her face bright and cheery, way too happy for someone up so early after going to bed so late.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his heart beating like a drum being played at a fast pace, and this time it wasn't from the memory of last night's kiss.

"It's Christmas morning," she said excitedly. "Come on, let's go open our presents," she finished, jumping off the bed and running over to where he was. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him downstairs despite his cries to wanting to go back to sleep.

Once they were downstairs, he saw Fairy Godmother sitting in her favorite chair, a cup of coffee in her hand, and a look of exhaustion on her face. When she saw Carlos being dragged in by her daughter, she smiled at him, taking stock of his disheveled, still sleepy appearance. Jane let go of his hand and ran over to the tree and began looking through the boxes under it. "Let me guess, she jumped on the bed to wake you?"

"How'd you…?"

"She does that when people refuse to wake up," she explained to him. "I learned a long time ago its best to just wake up when she says to."

"Here," Jane said handing Carlos a present wrapped in white wrapping paper with red and black polka dots. "It's from me and Mom. Merry Christmas," she smiled.

Carlos looked at the present in confusion. It was't too large, just big enough that he needed both hands to hold it. He continued to stare at it until Fairy Godmother's voice pulled him out of his trance.

"Everything alright Carlos?"

"Uh…yeah," he answered shaking his head to clear it. "It's just my…my first Christmas present," he admitted. Jane looked at her mother in shock. She motioned for Jane not to say anything or to push too hard. Eventually Carlos started to tear away at the wrapping, revealing the box underneath. His eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of the picture on the box, indicating what was inside. "A racing drone?" he asked excitedly, his face lighting up.

Fairy Godmother nodded. "Jane actually picked it out," she told him.

"I know how much you like tech stuff," she said shyly.

"T-thank you," he said, his smile brightening his face.

Fairy Godmother had to fight back tears as she saw how happy Carlos was. He reached over and gave Jane a hug, and then, to her shock, gave her quick kiss on the cheek though she noticed that his lips had hovered close to the corner of her mouth. Jane blushed a deep crimson at the gesture.

"Thanks," he said to Fairy Godmother, "And Merry Christmas," he said to both of them.

Hearing those words come from the beaming teenager for the first time since he'd been welcomed into their home filled Fairy Godmother'e heart with joy because it meant that Jane's plan had worked. As she watched the two of them head toward the tree for the other presents, she knew that this would a very memorable Christmas for years to come since it would be the one where they'd helped sometime heal the scars of his past and look forward many more Merry Christmas'.

The End


End file.
